As a result of steadily rising energy costs, construction practices in residential housing have changed considerably. Residential dwellings are now heavily insulated and as illustrated in the co-pending patent application by Martinez, et al, Ser. No. 07/694,260 filed on Apr. 29, 1991, new products have been developed to satisfy the demands occasioned by the desire to make dwellings energy efficient. The Martinez, et al patent application discloses an insulating board which in addition to having sufficient capacity to accumulate moisture has sufficiently high permeance to permit moisture collected in the board to escape under proper conditions. Thus there has been provided an insulating board which may be used as sheathing which breathes without sacrificing the energy efficiency of the dwelling.
In addition to providing heavier insulation and , sheathing with higher "R" values in residential dwellings, the idea of wrapping a home with an air infiltration retarder has been introduced. One product which has been used to provide an air infiltration retarder is a product made from a 100 percent spun bonded olefin. This product is manufactured from high density polyethylene fibers which have been bonded by heat and pressure without binders or fillers into a tough, durable structure. Additives have been incorporated with the polyethylene to provide ultraviolet light resistance. This product not only provides an air retarder, but it provides a shield from water by not allowing water to pass through and yet has a high permeance so as to allow the passage of water vapor therethrough. In the past, this product has customarily been sold in rolls and was actually unrolled about the building and nailed thereto.
Naturally, wrapping the walls of a dwelling with such a good air retarder would be difficult, especially on a windy day, and it normally requires at least two people to secure the house wrap to the wall.
Thus, there has existed a definite need for an insulating board which in addition to having sufficient capacity to accumulate moisture and sufficiently high permeance to permit the moisture to escape under proper conditions also provides a complete air infiltration system which protects the effective insulation (R value) of the structure.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved insulation board which not only meets these needs, capacitance and high permeance, but provides a continuous air retarder system as well.
It is another object of this invention to provide an insulating board having a sheet of spun bonded olefin laminated thereto.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an insulating board with an air retarder laminated thereto wherein the air retarder sheet extends outwardly from the insulating board so as to overlap and seal one or more adjacent insulating boards.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description, or may be evident by the practice of the invention.